Is it TIME for a Virtual Assistant?

We’ve all heard the advice that if you want to grow your business you need to focus on the things you do well and delegate the rest to others. When it comes to putting that advice into practice, many of us find excuses. 

We always hear people complaining that they just don’t have the time to do things.

“ I don’t have time to get in shape or go to the gym” or “GAWD, I need to get this report done but I still have to call Bell TV to hook me up with the UFC fight tonight!”

We could all probably make better use of our time to work on the important things in our lives if only we had the "time". 

Ask yourself the following 3 questions:

• Am I procrastinating on this task? If I’m procrastinating, I usually don’t have the resources, knowledge, or skill proficiency to do it well. - Outsource to someone who does.
• Do I dread this task? If I view the task with dread rather than excitement, this signals that I don’t actually want to do it. This means that I won’t bring the level of passion and ownership that I would if I were exciting to me. Outsource it!
• Am I AMAZING at this task? If the answer is “no,” chances are good that you can find an expert to help you out. 

If you think you could use more time in your day doing things you care about instead of dealing with menial tasks, you should look into hiring a virtual assistant. 

Balance InStyle has been in business 8 years.  We've recently expanded our service offerings to include a virtual line. You can learn more about this new line called Balance by Balance InStyle here. (More free time can really change your life.)

Our newest offering is virtual, so between the hours of 9-5 you have local assistants at your disposal who you can delegate time consuming tasks to, like what Tim Ferriss recommends in his book “The 4-Hour Work Week". 

Our new website launching April 2015 but for now imagine …

Appointments, Reservations, and Logistics Coordination

Imagine what would happen if you never had to make calls around for dinner reservations, hair appointments, car services, doctors’ appointments, price-shopping, Fedex re-delivery, meeting calendar coordinations, travel plans or chasing down your own accounts receivables?

Our approach (and recommendation) is this – every time you have a task that doesn’t need your personal attention, outsource it to your VPA. 

If what you ask is outside the scope of what we do ( we haven't seen that in 8 years ), we can connect you with someone who can help through our preferred partner network. Our success comes from running a Concierge company for the past 8 years. So we've seen it all.

Putting Together Furniture, Dropping Off Dry Cleaning, Groceries, Home Renovations and Other In-Person Tasks

What about those other time consuming errands that can’t be done virtually? We got you covered with our on the ground Concierge Services.  Name the task, and consider it done! 

So if you have trouble getting to your important work because you are always busy dealing with the urgent, why not give us a call and let us help?  613-440-4446

Introducing Balance InStyle's New Service!

Big news from the team here at Balance InStyle – we’re happy to introduce our newest virtual line called BALANCE. 

BALANCE is a productivity accelerator geared towards busy professionals and entrepreneurs. This services allows busy people to delegate strategic tasks to their very own VPA ( Virtual Personal Assistant). All the convenience of a personal assistant minus the full time salary.

We believe GOOD help should be accessible, affordable and NOT hard to find!

Since founding Balance InStyle in 2006,  Concierge Services have become increasingly more popular due to a common problem, lack of time. Time is our most important asset and we at Balance InStyle want to help you save it!  

Our VPA's can now schedule meetings, manage your calendar, book travel, respond to emails and complete other business tasks, as well as pay bills, order custom gifts, deal with customer service issues, make those dreaded A/R calls and even schedule that long overdue dentist's appointment. 

Your needs are unique and we take the time to get to know you so we can be proactive on your behalf. We are not a call centre. You actually deal with a live, local person who can make things happen while you are doing what you do best.

This service is exclusively virtual, so we do not run errands or perform in-person physical tasks. However, not to worry as we can still provide those services as you require at a rate of $65/hour. 

Now you can run your business without wearing so many hats as Balance InStyle combines the skills and talents of many into a single, powerful team. You gain access to our entire skill set, but only need to remember one name, your own dedicated VPA.

I bet you're saying, this all sounds great, but give me an example of how this works? 

Imagine never having to say ever again " I'm available Tuesday or Thursday of next week between 1-4"and having a slew of emails going back and forth to land on a time that works for all parties. We can manage your calendar for you. Simply CC "your VPA" when you need to schedule an appointment or have us reach out to the third party. We'll work out the details and add the event to your integrated Google calendar. 

Bills? Paid. Inbox? Cleared. Travel? Booked. See how simple life can be?

We've taken all the precautions to keep your data safe. So sharing any sensitive information such as credit cards, account numbers, log in etc ... are now all automated and encrypted for your protection. Our team of VPA's have jumped through the proverbial hoops, signed confidentiality agreements and have been security cleared. What happens at Balance InStyle, stays at Balance InStyle!

Our Virtual Plans start at $159/mth. 

Also, our new website is in development as is our new app ( yup! there's an app for that too now )but we didn't want to wait until the Spring to share the good news that affordable help is here to stay, so consider this our early Easter gift to you!

If you are ready to supercharge your productivity and get more done than you ever imagined possible, we've love to hear from you!

Many ways to get in touch. By phone 613-440-4446, by email info@balanceinstyle.com or come be social on Facebook.

• 
  

Your very own real life Siri.

With Apple meeting the needs of busy on-the-go people this is only further proof that the Concierge/Virtual Assistant industry is on the rise.  The industry has been on a steady rise, with industry revenues of $220 million in 2012. IBIS expects the concierge industry to see an uptick, with annual revenue projected to grow to $264 million by 2017.  The gradual increase is attributed to a decrease in “leisure time” among individuals; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2010, the average person was limited to 5.2 hours of leisure time per day, including their household activities. When everybody’s trying to fit “36 hours into a 24 hour day,” time management and organizational skills are of the highest priority.  If you are an iphone user you have in the palm of your hand your very own built in personal assistant. Her name is Siri. She lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, search the web etc 
                        

Amazing right? While this has some on-the-go benefits, like most technology, there are limitations. Yes, Siri can find the information that you are requesting under 2.5 seconds, but will the information be accurate? Likely not because this type of service isn't intelligent enough to ask the right questions to find out exactly what your specific needs are. This is where the human, high touch services such as the ones that we offer at Balance InStyle is worth its weight in gold.
       
              
We are not a call centre. You actually deal with a live, local person who can make things happen while you are doing what you do best. We are efficient, reliable, and exceedingly qualified. Our discrete services are designed to make an immediate difference in your life, thus instantly and dramatically reducing your stress. Your needs are unique and we take the time to get to know you so we can be proactive on your behalf. We think that Apple is genius for creating Siri and thank them for the awareness that they are bringing to our industry. Maybe we are the Siri 2.0 version? Always available, exceedingly qualified, ready to help at a the push of a button but can communicate effectively to decipher your immediate needs. Ummm ... Something to think about when you find yourself short on time and are unsure how to get it all done.We would love to wear all your hats and handle all your must-do's so you can get on with all your love-to'.To learn a little more about our services please visit us Balance InStyle or Like us on Facebook where we share daily tips and ideas to help you better manage your life and your time.